By Mihalis Stefanou/ info@eurohoops.net
Following a losing effort for Olympiacos opposite FC Barcelona in Round 15 of the 2025-26 EuroLeague Regular Season on Friday, Evan Fournier talked to Eurohoops about his side’s performance in Palau Blaugrana.
“This wasn’t a good game, overall. They played better than us. They played more physical, outrebounding us by far. They were just a better team tonight. There were a lot of things that we didn’t do well, and the third quarter was the epitome of that,” he said, referring to Barca outscoring the Reds by 13 points in the third period.
After sitting out Round 14 due to an illness, the 33-year-old winger bounced back with 11 points, five assists, and one rebound over 28:59, but also committed two turnovers.
“It’s not just about fighting. They played better. On defense, we were always a step late. That allows them to go more to the rebounds, and have the advantage,” he added to the team picture versus Barca.
“Playing hard is one thing, for sure, and they played harder than us, but it’s like we didn’t want to play. They just played better. They were one step ahead on everything, and we were late to everything,” he added.
The team coached by Giorgos Bartzokas fell to 8-6, and now ranks tenth in the EuroLeague standings, at the bottom end of the Play-In Showdown zone and 2.5 games away from leader Hapoel IBI Tel Aviv.
“We’ve got to play better as a team. First of all, we got to compete more on defense. We’ve got to guard our man better. And we just got to be ourselves,” said Fournier, focusing on required improvements moving forward. “This team had success playing a sort of way, and there’s no new recipe. We just got to do what we know we are going to do. We just got to do it better.”
In Round 16, Olympiacos welcomes Valencia in Peace and Friendship Stadium on Tuesday. The double-game week will continue at home against LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne on Friday.
Before the approaching continental challenges in SEF, a road game against Peristeri Betsson on Sunday sets up the assignment in Round 10 of Greece’s Stoiximan GBL Regular Season, and an opportunity to jump to 10-0.